The American Idol 2025 finale started on May 18, 2025, with three competitors remaining: Jamal Roberts, Breanna Nix, and John Foster.
Who won?
As of 9:50 p.m., the competition was down to the two remaining contestants after three powerhouse performances (videos later in this article). This article will be updated when the final American Idol winner is announced. Be forewarned that this post already contains spoilers for the first cut.
Who was eliminated first?
A nationwide audience spoke, according to Ryan Seacrest, announcing the first cut on May 18.
The first contestant to make it into the final two was announced as the Louisiana country singer, John Foster.
He appeared to grow emotional, putting his hands to his face.
Then, Seacrest announced that Jamal Roberts was also moving into the final two contestants, which meant that Nix is the contestant who will not be the winner of the 2025 season.
That upset some fans on social media, who were rooting for the stay-at-home mom from Texas. She seemed to recover, offering verbal support to Roberts before later taking the stage for a duet with Brandon Lake.
Roberts sang First Time during the finale, according to the video shared by American Idol. Judge Carrie Underwood said, "I feel like tonight, you look so comfortable and at ease."
As for Foster, he sang Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.
Host Carrie Underwood said of Foster's song, "Great song choice. Everybody at home was singing."
Related: Jamal Roberts Shared Major Family News Before 'American Idol' Finale
Related: American Idol Finale 2025: How to Vote for Jamal Roberts, Breanna Nix & John Foster